I work in bio / medicine and we sometimes test products on neoplasms or tumours (cancerous) This often involves deliberately killing off the tissue / tumour itself. This is simply for research purposes - not to cure cancer or anything socially benificial.

Im confused about what this 1 precept covers. I know a tumour is made up of cell's and micro-organisms. But it's the tumour as a whole I deliberately degrade or essenhtially kill. Fundimentally I'm confused about what the first precept covers, in terms of whats alive (because a tumouroid is alive, living tissue).

I work in bio / medicine and we sometimes test products on neoplasms or tumours (cancerous) This often involves deliberately killing off the tissue / tumour itself. This is simply for research purposes - not to cure cancer or anything socially benificial.

Im confused about what this 1 precept covers. I know a tumour is made up of cell's and micro-organisms. But it's the tumour as a whole I deliberately degrade or essenhtially kill. Fundimentally I'm confused about what the first precept covers, in terms of whats alive (because a tumouroid is alive, living tissue).

I'm a newbie just finding the path,

Layz

I imagine this subject could be waxed philosophically on forever...

I think the first precept applies to beings which are seen to be sentient, I assume a tumor is no more sentient than is a vegetable. In short, if it isn't a thing which has (or is thought to have) subjective experience of it's own or some sort of volition..it isn't a sentient being. That's my understanding of it at any rate.

May the eyes of living beings be gladdened by skies made splendid by clouds that lightnings garland, while on earth below, the peacocks dance with joy as showers of rain, falling gently, approach.

Abstinence from killing refers to "sentient beings". I would not consider a cancer tumor to fall under that distinction. However, if the research activity causes harm to or kills a being like some kind of animal, a mouse or rat for example, then it would be applicable.

One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!